BIP - A Journey into Knowledge and Reasoning

Description:

This Blended Intensive Program (BIP) offers a comprehensive introduction to knowledge representation and reasoning techniques, with a focus on their application in understanding and analyzing the digital society, environmental and industrial contexts.

The program is specifically tailored for Master and PhD students who aim to gain or deepen theoretical and practical skills in this field. It provides valuable insights and tools that will support their future professional and research projects as well as problem-solving capabilities across different domains.

The program will consist of 6 x 2hr online sessions and a week-long in-person workshop at the Silesian University of Technology (SUT), Poland. The teaching will be delivered by different academic staff from U. of Perugia, U. of Luxembourg, SUT, U. of Evora and U. of Angers. The BIP will comprise workshops, student presentations, and participation in a group project as well as social/networking opportunities. Participants will select a project related to their own domain of interest with support from the academic staff.

Aims:

• Develop familiarity with fundamental approaches to knowledge representation methods and reasoning techniques including argumentation, logic, abstract interpretation, problem solving.
• Develop awareness of which methods may be suitable for different types of problems along with the potential benefits, challenges and limitations of each approach.
• Develop skills in application of these methods to real-world multidisciplinary problems.
• Develop skills in group working and communication.
• Help to create a culture of international and cross-discipline collaboration in the EU institutions.

Learning outcomes:

• Explore methods for modelling knowledge in societal, industrial, and environmental contexts, and develop skills for formal reasoning based on these models.
• Gain in-depth familiarity with a diverse set of approaches to knowledge modelling and representation using tools for reasoning such as argumentation frameworks, formal logic, constraint programming, rewriting systems, and abstract interpretation.
• Learn to apply the presented techniques to real-world problems, taking into account the balance between model quality and time/resource constraints.
• Identify the limitations and weaknesses of a range of modelling and reasoning approaches.
• Communicate the outcomes to technical and non-technical audiences.

Assessment:

• Individual poster presentation (20%) – To introduce participants and their interests (research, professional, personal).
• Group Project (60%) – To be completed and presented during on-site activity period.
• Individual Project (20%) – Slide presentation, to be completed after the on-site activity. The project should typically comprise either (i) a high-level review of modelling relevant to the student’s selected topic or (ii) some preliminary modelling work relevant to this topic.
• Number of ECTS: 3

Conditions for admission:

• participation in the program is open to MSc or PhD students,
• to apply for this program, students must be regularly enrolled at one of the participating universities and completed a course in Mathematics, Statistics, Programming, or similar content,
• at the time of the application submission, applicants must demonstrate proof of English language competence at the B2 level. This can be certified by the applicant’s home University.

How to apply:

Students should complete the APPLICATION FORM and send the following documents:

• copy of ID or passport,
• transcript of records and certificate of enrolment,
• proof of English language competence.

Selection procedure:

An appointed Committee of the organizer and co-organizer institutions will carry out the selection procedure. Students and researchers should expect to hear back about the result of their application by 24.04.2026.

Selected students must communicate their acceptance or withdrawal within 5 days from the publication of the selection results by contacting their university program coordinator. Selected students will be contacted with further instructions upon completion of the selection procedures.

Financial support:

The attendance of the Blended Intensive Program may be covered by an ERASMUS+ SMS Short Mobility Grant for all mobile students (excluding students from the hosting University). This financial support may only be guaranteed by the selected student’s home University. The University of origin of each selected student is fully responsible for the management of the financial aspects of the mobilities in accordance with the provisions of the competent ERASMUS+ National Agency.

No financial support is foreseen for host institution students as they will not be travelling for the purposes of participation in this program (non-mobile participants).

Please refer to your local coordinator or Erasmus/International Relations Office for any further information related to the financial support made available.

Schedule:

1. Virtual component:

The virtual component comprises 6 x 2hr online lectures to be held within the period

25.05.2026 – 26.06.2026.

A detailed schedule will be distributed to selected participants along with the links to the virtual meetings.

The lectures comprise the following topics:

• Introduction to logic
• Introduction to set theory and lattice theory
• Programming with logic
• Constraint programming
• Transforming knowledge with rules
• Languages and automata

2. On-site component:

The on-site component comprises the activities to be held within the period

06.07.2026 – 10.07.2026 at the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, Poland.

The plan includes the following activities.

Monday - July 6:
  9:00-11:00    Welcoming speech and project assignment
12:00-14:00    Lunch break
14:00-16:00    Lecture: Overview of knowledge reasoning
16:00-18:00    Group work on the project assignment

Tuesday - July 7:
  9:00-11:00    Lecture: Argumentation
12:00-14:00   Lunch break
14:00-17:00    Workshop: Finding flaws in debate using argumentation
17:00-18:00    Group work on the project assignment

Wednesday - July 8:
  9:00-11:00    Lecture: Using a rewriting system for biology (game of life)
12:00-14:00   Lunch break
14:00-17:00   Workshop: Modelling with constraint programming (logistics)
17:00-18:00   Group work on the project assignment

Thursday - July 9:
  9:00-11:00    Lecture: Neural Network Verification by Abstract Interpretation
12:00-14:00   Lunch break
14:00-16:00   Workshop: Abstract interpretation for verifying neural networks
16:00-18:00:  Group work on the project assignment

Friday - July 10:
  9:00-11:00    Project presentation and discussion
12:00-14:00   Lunch break
14:00-              Trip to Guido mine